Fight to save Beckenham’s Art Deco Grade II
Campaigners are fighting to save the historic Art Deco Odeon cinema in Beckenham after the operator announced its closure. The building's owner, Citygate Church, plans to convert the site into a place of worship, sparking a debate over the loss of a community cultural space.
Why it matters
The conflict highlights the tension between preserving local cultural heritage and the changing needs of community infrastructure.
Share Save Add as preferred on Google Nora Fakim London BBC The odeon on the high street in Beckenham is a grade II listed building Campaigners are fighting to save a century-old cinema in south-east London after its operator announced it would close at the end of November.
The Odeon on the high street in Beckenham said it had entered "a voluntary commercial agreement with its landlord" and would stop operating from the Grade II-listed building.
The site is owned by Citygate Church, which wants to turn it into a place of worship and community space while restoring some of its Art Deco features.
The Save Our Screen group wants it to remain a cinema, with some residents describing the closure as a blow to the community.
The building was designed as the Regal Cinema by the notable cinema architect Robert Cromie and opened in 1930.
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